Refrigeration



Nov. 12, 1935. `DI K, DEAN 2,020,460

Nov. 12, 1935; D, K DEAN 2,020,460

l RFRIGERATION Filed April 20, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZ T ZZ Z l l ATTORIlY47 Y0 Patented Nov. l2,` 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE Application April 20, 1933, Serial No. 667,010

13 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigeration and more particularly pertains to vacuum refrigeration operating on the flash evaporation principle.

In vacuum refrigeration y systems employing ash evaporation as the operating principle, the

4liquid to be refrigerated is ordinarily piped into.

a closed vessel or chamber maintained under a suitably high degree of vacuum, wherein the liquid, due to the relatively low pressure, is caused l0 to boil or to partially vaporize. The vapors evolved absorb or abstract the latent heat of vaporization from the liquid remaining unvaporized and thereby cools the latter to a temperature which in general, corresponds to the absolute pressure maintained in the closed vessel.

vThe present invention provides novel means for controlling the temperature of the refrigerant so as to maintain the refrigerant or the subject of refrigeration lat a substantially constant temperature.

Generally speaking, this is accomplished by suitably controlling, preferably by automatic means, the Iquantity of the total volume of the refrigerant to be cooled`which is subjected to refrigeration and causing the remainder of the said refrigerant to by-pass the cooling step, and thereafter to be mixed with that portion of the refrigerant which has been cooled, to thereby obtain refrigerant at the desired temperature. In accordance with the present invention, a ash chamber maintained under a suitably high degree of vacuum is employed and that portion of the refrigerant which by-passes the cooling step of the refrigeration system is brought into thermal contact or heat exchange relation with the cooled refrigerant prior to being mixed therewith. Additionally, means are provided for discontinuing the operation of the vacuum producing means when the refrigerant is at such a low temperature that the vacuum producing means'islno4 longer required. Other features of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be clearly understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and in which:

Fig. l is an elevational sectional view of refrigeration apparatus embodying the present invention and applied to the conditioning of air;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, of another form of refrigeration apparatus; and

Fig. -3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing another form ofthe invention. V

Like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

(Cl. (i2-152) Although ther embodiments of the invention lllustrated in the drawings are applied specifically tothe conditioning of air, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but that it may be applied with equal effectiveness to the 5 refrigeration generally of liquids, solids and gases.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, reference character I 0 denotes an enclosure such as a building, auditorium or the like, which contains air to be conditioned. The air to be conditioned is l0 withdrawn from the enclosure through a conduit II and is conducted to an air conditioning chamber I2 of any suitable form. After being properly conditioned, the air is withdrawn from the chamber I2 through a conduit I3 by a fan I4 and l5 is returned thereby through conduit I5 to the enclosure I 0. Water, or other refrigerant, at the desired temperature, is delivered to the air conditioning chamber I2 through a pipe I6 which delivers it toV sprays Il which in turn spray it into 20 contact with the air owing through the chamber I2. Obviously, in lieu of the sprays I'I, closed coils may be utilized, if desired, so that the water doesnot come into direct contact with the air. After being brought into heat exchange relation- 25 ship with the refrigerant, the air comes into contact with suitable bailiesA I8 to effect the desired disentrainment of moistln'ey prior to leaving the chamber I2. 'I'he refrigerant which has been brought into thermal pontact with the air in 30 chamber I2, collectsat the bottom and is withdrawn therefrom through pipe I9 and is delivered to vacuum refrigeration apparatus embodying thepresent invention.

'Ihe refrigeration apparatus embodying the invention includes a closed chamber 20 hereinafter referred to as a flash chamber. The upper portion of the ash chamber 20 is provided with a vapor outlet 2l which is connected to the vapor inlet 22 of a thermo-compressor 23 which has the 40 usual converging portion 24'and a diverging portion 25. The thermo-compressor is also provided with a plurality of steam nozzles 26 to y which operating steam is supplied through a steam pipe 2l. The thermo-compressor dis- 45 charges into a suitable condenser such as the surface condenser 28 shown, to which cooling water is supplied through an inlet 29 and from which it is withdrawn through an outlet 30. A steam jet pump 3l serves to remove the non- 50 condensables from the condenser. 'Ihe condensate is withdrawn from the condenser through a tail pipe 32 by means of a suitable pump 33. The water or other refrigerant supplied to the' flash chamberln through pipe I9 is dischargedon a M suitable distributing cone 34 to facilitate the evaporation of water. The cooled unvaporized portion of the water introduced into the ash chamber is withdrawn therefrom through a tail pipe or withdrawal conduit 35 by means of a suitable pump 36 which discharges it into the pipe I6 heretofore referred to. A by-pass conduit 31 has its inlet end connected to pipe I9 and has its discharge end disposed so as to discharge into the tail pipe 35, as shown.

Suitable means are provided for controlling the pipe I9 and the by-pass 31 to control the proportion of the refrigerant which is introduced into the flash chamber 28 and the proportion which is by-passed around the flash chamber through by-pass 31. Such means may include a thermostatically operated valve, such as valve 38 shown. This valve is disposed at the joint between the pipe I9 and the by-pass 31 and is provided with spaced ported partitions 3.9 and 40. A poppet valve 4I is disposed between the partitions 39 and 40 and controls the ports in each of these partitions. 'I'he end of the valve stem is secured to a flexible partition 42 which is urged in a direction to close the port in partition 39 by means of a coil spring 43. A chamber 44 in .communication with the diaphragm 42 is connected by a pipe 45 with a thermostatic bulb 46 disposed, as shown in Fig. 1, in the pipe I6 which supplies cooled refrigerant to the sprays I1 in the air conditioning chamber I2. Obviously, the bulb 46 may be located at any other suitable point in the refrigerating system or the associated apparatus. The chamber 44, pipe 45 and bulb 46 are lled with a suitable liquid which expands when heated and contracts when cooled. It will be understood that the refrigerant which is introduced into the ash chamber 28 ows through the port in partition 39 and that the portion of the refrigerantrwhich by-passes the flash chamber through by-pass 31 flows through the port in partition 40.

A valve 41 in pipe I!! is adapted to control the flow of refrigerant to the refrigeration apparatus in accordance with the quantity of refrigerant in the ash chamber 20. This valve 41 is provided with a ported partition 48 which is controlled by a poppet valve 49, the stem of which is connected as shown to one arm 50 of a pivoted bell crank lever 5|, the other arm 52 of which is connected by a link 53 to arm 54 of a pivoted bell crank lever 55, the other arm 56 of which is provided with a suitable oat 51.

In accordance with the present invention the by-pass 31 has a portion thereof disposed so that the refrigerant passing therethrough will be brought into heat exchange relation with the cooled refrigerant prior to being mixed therewith. As shown in Fig. 1, the portion of the by-pass 31 which is adjacent the dischargeend thereof is disposed in the tail pipe 35 so that the refrigerant withdrawn from the flash chamber 20 flows around this portion of the by-pass 31 during its withdrawal from the flash chamber. A by-pass 58 controlled by a valve 59 has its ends connected to pipe I9 at opposite sides of the valve 36 so as to by-pass refrigerant around the valve 38, when the latter is in such position that no refrigerant is supplied to the flash chamber. With this arrangement small, quantities of water may be introduced into the flash chamber during the periods of light load and in such amounts that it may be frozen in the chamber, thereby storing up refrigeration. Where this is to be accomplished, the thermo-compressor should be continued in operation to the extent necessary to eiect the freezing of the water.

A valve 60 is disposed in the steam pipe 21 which supplies operating steam to the thermocompressor 24 and serves to control the rate at 5 which steam is supplied to the thermo-compressor to operate the same. This valve may be of any suitable form. As shown, it is provided with a ported partition 6I which is controlled by a poppet valve 62, the stem of which is secured to a 10 flexible diaphragm 63 which is urged in a direction tending to close the port in partition 6I by a coil spring 64. A chamber 65 in communication with the diaphragm 63 is connected by a pipe 66 to a thermostatic bulb61 which, as shown 15 in Fig. 1, is disposed in the pipe I9. Chamber 65, pipe 66 and bulb 61 are illled Wltha suitable fluid which expands upon being heated and contracts when cooled.

The operation of the apparatus so far dis- 20 closed is as followsz The air withdrawn from the enclosure I6 through conduit II is delivered to the air conditioning chamber I2 and in flowing therethrough is brought into heat exchange relation with the refrigerant sprayed from sprays 25 I1 and ai'ter being cooled tothe desired extent the air comes in contact with the bafflesv I8 which remove the entrained liquid from the air, subsequent to which the airv is returned by fan I4 through conduits I3 and I5 to the enclosure III. 30 'I'he water, or other refrigerant, supplied through pipe I6 to the spray I1 is, in the form shown in Fig. l, maintained at a substantially constant temperature by the refrigeration system described. The comparatively warm refrigerant 35 from the air conditioning chamber I2 is conducted to the refrigeration apparatus through pipe I 9 which delivers a portion thereof, depending upon the position of valve 38, to the flash chamber 20 where it is partially vaporized due 40 to the vacuum maintained therein by the thermo-compressor 24. The partial evaporation of the refrigerant removes the heat of vaporization from the unvaporized portion thereof and thereby cools the same. The cooled refrigerant is 45 Withdrawn from the flash chamber through. tail pipe 35 by pump 36 and is returned thereby though pipe I6 to the sprays I1. A portion of the refrigerant withdrawn from chamber I2 through pipe I9 is by-passed through byv-pass 31 50 and is mixed with the cooled refrigerant withdrawn from the flash chamber 20, after, as previously described, having been brought into heat exchange relation with the cooled refrigerant. Valve 41 controlled by float 51 controls the sup- 55 ply of refrigerant through pipe I9. In the'event the refrigerant in pipe I6 falls below the predetermined temperature desired, the liquid in thermostatic bulb 46, pipe 45 and chamber 44 will contract and will permit spring 43 to move valve 50 4I toward the port in partition 39 and away from the port in partition '40. As a consequence, a smaller proportion of the refrigerant supplied through pipe I9 will be delivered to the ash chamber 20 and a larger proportion will be de- 65 livered to the by-pass 31, as a result of which the mixture of refrigerant withdrawn from the flash chamber and the refrigerant delivered through the by-pass 31 will be raised in temperature suiiiciently so that the refrigerant sup- 70 plied to the sprays I1 will again be at the desired temperature. Conversely, if the refrigerant in pipe I6 is too warm, valve 38 will be operated so as to increase the portion of refrigerant delivered to the flash chamber and diminish 76 the proportion delivered through by-pass 31- s0 as to lower the temperature of the refrigerant in pipe I6 to the extent necessary to bring it down to the desired predetermined temperature. In the event the temperature of the water with- Y drawn from the air conditioning chamber I2 through pipe I9 is at such a low temperature that all or substantially all of the refrigerant is delivered to by-fpass 31 and very little or no cooling of the refrigerant is required, valve 60 in steam line 21 will, in response to the action ofy the liquid in thermostatic bulb 61, pipe 66 and chamber 65, close valve 62 so as to reduce or out oil' the supply of steam through pipe 21 to the thermo-oompressor 24 and decrease or discontinue the operation thereof. As soon however as the temperature of the refrigerant in pipe I9 is raised to an extent which requires that part of the refrigerant be cooled, the liquid in bulb 61l will expand and cause valve 62 to open and thereby permit the delivery of the proper amount of steam to the thermo-compressor to again operate and to maintain a suitable vacuum in the ash chamber 20 and to Withdraw vapors of the refrigerant therefrom. In this manner it will be seen'that the temperature of the water, or other refrigerant, supplied to the air conditioning chamber I 2, is maintained at a substantially constant temperature and that so long as it is necessary to cool a portion of the refrigerant from the air conditioning chamber I2 to maintain the temperature of the cooled refrigerant at the predetermined temperature, the thermo-compressor 24 will remain in operation, but that as soon as it becomes no longer necessary to cool a portion of the refrigerant tomaintain the predetermined temperature referred to, the operation of the thermo-compressor will be discontinued. The disposition of part of the by-pass 31 so that the refrigerant owing therethrough is brought into heat exchange relation with the cooled refrigerant, serves to prevent the formation of ice in the tail pipe 35 in that form of the invention shown in Fig. 1. Obviously, the thermostaticbulb 61 which controls the operation of valve 60 may be located at any suitable point of the refrigerating system or associated apparatus other than in the pipe I9 as shown.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 2 differs from that disclosed in Fig. 1 principally \in that the by-pass 31 is arranged so that it pass 31 may be arranged, if desired, so that it' passes through the refrigerant in the flash chamber without passing through the tail pipe. Another point of difference resides inthe fact that the thermostatic bulb I6 which controls the operation of the valve 38 is disposed in the stream of the conditioned air in chamber I2. With this location of bulb 46, the temperature of the refrigerated liquid in pipe I6 is varied to maintain the air leaving the air conditioning chamber at a substantially constant temperature. Otherwise the operation of the form described 'in Fig. 2 is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. l. y

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 differs from that shown in Fig. 1 in that the bypass 31 instead of passing through the tail pipe 35, is arranged in part, in the form of a jacket 1I) which surrounds the tail pipe. The tail pipe is also provided with an opening 1I through the several parts of the systems herein described 5 and illustrated may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and that the invention may be applied generally to the refrigeration of liquids, solids and gases. Accordingly,

it is to be understood that no intention is enter- 10 tained to limit the scope of the invention nor the extent of its application except by the breadth of the claims hereto appended.

What is claimed is:

l. Refrigeration apparatus comprising a l5 chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in' thev chamber, means for introducing refrigerant to be cooled into the chamber, means for withdrawing cooled refrigerant from the chamber, means adapted to divide the refrigerant to be 20 cooled prior to its introduction into the chamber, means for by-passing a divided portion of the refrigerant around the chamber and for mixing said divided portion with the cooled refrigerant, and means for bringing said divided portion of 25 the refrigerant into heat exchange relationship Awith the cooled refrigerant prior to being mixed therewith.

2. Refrigeration apparatus comprising a chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in 30 the chamber, means for introducing refrigerant to be cooled into the chamber, means for withdrawing cooled refrigerant from the chamber, means for by-passing a portion of the refrigerant around s aid chamber and for mixing the by- 35 passed portion with the refrigerant Withdrawn from the chamber, and means for bringing s'aid by-passed portion into heat exchange relationship with the lrefrigerant withdrawn from the chamber prior to being mixed therewith. 40

3. Refrigeration apparatus comprising a flash chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in the ash chamber, a conduit for introducing refrigerant into the ash chamber, a conduit through which cooled refrigerant is withdrawn 45 from the flash chamber, and a by-pass conduit having one end connected to the rst mentioned conduit and having its other end disposed so as to discharge into the last mentioned conduit and having a portion thereof within the conduit 5o chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in 65 the ash chamber, a conduit for, introducing vrefrigerant into the flash chamber, a conduit through which cooled refrigerant is withdrawn from the flash chamber, and a by-pass conduit having one end connected to the rst mentioned 70 conduit and having its other end disposed so as to discharge into the last mentioned conduit and having a portion thereof passing through the refrigerant in the flash chamber.

6. Refrigeration apparatus comprising a liash 75 chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in the ash chamber, a conduit for introducing refrigerant into the flash chamber, a conduit through which cooled refrigerant is withdrawn from the flash chamber, and a by-pass conduit having one end connected to the first mentioned conduit and having its other end disposed so as to discharge into the last mentioned conduit and having a portion thereof arranged to bring the refrigerant passing therethrough into heat exchange relationship with the cooled refrigerant.

7. Refrigeration apparatus comprising a fiash chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in the flash chamber, a conduit for introducing refrigerant into the flash chamber, a conduit through which cooled refrigerant is withdrawn from the fiash chamber, and a by-pass conduit having one end connected to the first mentioned conduit and having its other end disposed so as to discharge into the last mentioned conduit and having a portion thereof arranged to bring the refrigerant passing therethrough into heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant withdrawn from thefiash chamber.

8. Refrigeration apparatus comprising a flash chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in the flash chamber, a conduit for introducing refrigerant into the flash chamber, a conduit through which cooled refrigerant is Withdrawn from the iiash chamber, a by-pass conduit having one end connected to the first mentioned conduit and having its other end disposed so as to discharge into the last mentioned conduit, a Valve for controlling said first mentioned conduit and the by-pass conduit, and a by-pass for the first mentioned conduit around said valve.

9. Air conditioning apparatus comprising an air conditioning chamber, means causing air 'to flow through said chamber, means in the chamber for bringing a refrigerant into heat exchange relationship with` the air flowing through said chamber, a flash chamber, means for introducing the refrigerant from the air conditioning chamber into the flash chamber, means for conducting refrigerant from the flash chamber to the air conditioning chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in the flash chamber, means for dividing the refrigerant from the air conditioning chamber prior to its introduction into the flash chamber, means for by-passing a divided portion of the refrigerant around the flash chamber and for mixing said divided portion with the cooled refrigerant, and means for bringing said divided portion ofthe refrigerant into heat exchange relationship with the cooled refrigerant prior to its being mixed therewith. i

10. Refrigeration apparatus comprising a chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in the chamber, means for introducing refrigerant to be cooled into the chamber, means for withdrawing cooled refrigerant from the chamber, means for by-passing a portion of the refrigerant around said chamber and for mixing the bypassed portion with the refrigerant withdrawn from the chamber, means for bringing said bypassed portion into heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant withdrawn from the chamber prior to being mixed therewith, and means responsive to the temperature of the refrigerant for controlling the by-pass.

11. Refrigeration apparatus chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in the chamber, means for introducing refrigerant to be cooled into the chamber,` means for withdrawing cooled refrigerant from the chamber, means for by-passing a portion of the refrigerant around said chamber and for mixing the bypassed portion with the refrigerant withdrawn from the chamber, means for bringing said bypassed portion into heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant withdrawn from the chamber prior to being mixed therewith, meansresponsive to the temperature of the refrigerant for controlling the by-pass, and means responsive to the temperature of the refrigerant for controlling the vacuum maintaining means.

12. Refrigeration apparatus comprising a chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in the chamber, means for introducing refrigerant to be cooled into the chamber, means for withdrawing cooled refrigerant from the chamber, means for by-passing a portion of the refrigerant around said chamber and for mixing the by-passed portion with the refrigerant withdrawn from the chamber, means for bringing said bypassed portion into heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant withdrawn from the chamber prior to being mixed therewith, means for bringing the cooled refrigerant into heat exchange relationship with the subject of refrigeration, and means responsive to the temperature of the subject of refrigeration for controlling the by-pass.

13. Air conditioning apparatus comprising an air conditioning chamber, means causing air to flow through said chamber, means in the chamber for bringing a refrigerant into heat exchange relationship with the air flowing through said chamber, a ash chamber, means for introducing the refrigerant from the air conditioning chamber into the fi'ash chamber, means for conducting refrigerant from the flash chamber to the air conditioning chamber, means for maintaining a vacuum in the iiash chamber, means for dividing the refrigerant from the air conditioning chamber prior to its introduction into the flash chamber, means for by-passing a divided portion of the refrigerant around the flash chamber and for mixing said divided portion with the cooled refrigerant, and means for bringing said divided portion of the refrigerant into heat exchange relationship with the cooled refrigerant prior to its being mixed therewith, and means responsive t0 the .temperature of the conditioned air for controlling the by-pass.

DION KANOUSE DEAN.

COmpI'Sing a 

